It was sitting at the petrol station last Friday night that we first heard the news of Britain exiting the European Union with a vote 52% to 48%.
We had exited out from here during the school holidays to learn to surf which was on our bucket list.
We had heard & read of no news whatsoever as our idyllic spot had no TV due to the ‘dysfunctional’ family who had inherited it. [We wondered about the estate plan that had happened.]
On this hideaway spot was a mandarin tree in full fruit which happens in midwinter to keep the scurvy away as James Cook realised 200 years ago. he fruit was enjoyed by some careful harvesting via a rake & bin.
So we read today on our return exactly what we had concluded & in fact suggested after the recent horrible Orlando event.
While Brexit exposed the seething tensions within the EU, Italy’s plight is a challenge much closer to its core.
As was seen with Greece, when it was threatening a “Grexit”, the EU can find ways to bend its rules when it has to, which is no doubt what Renzi hopes to convince Brussels to do.
If he fails, the prospect of Italy opting out of the EU, a far more complex exercise than that facing the UK given Italy is part of the eurozone, would become more real.
The plight of Italy, however, underscores how difficult it might be to hold together an uneasy and increasingly fractious union, with rules designed by and for its stronger economies, in a post-Brexit environment where the EU is even more dominated by its most powerful member, Germany. Read moreAustralian 29/6/2016
And again
Politicians beware: listen to the voters who vote you in or be prepared to be kicked where it really hurts.
They sold them down the river by failing to regulate banks and rating agencies before the GFC;
by posing as saviours of the world’s climate using taxpayers’ money; by posing as saviours of the world’s poor using taxpayers’ money;
by refusing to control borders; and,
by selling out the finest system of law in the world.
Elites were happy to take the plaudits of the Europe project and the jobs that came with it, but they were wilfully blind to euro public finance corruption, timidity in the face of unfettered migration, open access to benefits and naive acceptance of illiberal mores.
Brexit was a magnificent repudiation of these betrayals. Read more
And elsewhere
Overwhelmingly, the people who voted "Leave" in the referendum were guided by how they felt about themselves; their community; and their nation.
And these feelings, like just about everything else in politics, were driven by issues of power and control.
Do you feel in control of your life? Do you feel in control of your community? Do you feel in control of your country?
Do you feel in control of your future? Who has power over you? Who do you exercise power over?
To those whose employment is both precarious and/or oppressive, the sense of being in control of one's life is weak.
The sense of being at the mercy of others, on the other hand, is very strong. read more
And again
longer-term trend that people in Australia are angry like in the UK and US about the political class letting them down." Read more
and
Because the same antiestablishment anger that led to the Brexit vote is growing in other EU countries… here in the U.S… and around the world. Read more
Our conclusion is that the Mandarins have been picked & have had their day & now it is time as it is after the harvest to prune seriously prune.
It is time to spit out the pips & peel the Mandarins who don’t allow us the fruits of our endeavours.!!!
We must add that we had the best value in Australia at reef2Beach where Grom & Tony & JD provide 3hours surfing instruction for $17. How good is that! Thanx guys.
Our conclusion is that they want to leave a legacy that is surfing is a splash & all should have the opportunity to learn & enjoy. It is about the legacy & not the money.
Can the Mandarins here or anywhere say that they have left such a legacy?
Not when we read this ‘a tax hit of $700 million a year from 2017’ Read more
Do they have a better use than you? Do you really want to pay for our education & health?
As we suggested to Scott* today this in fact Brexit is all good in the long run. We are not unhappy.
We were watching Wimbledon on The Big Serve last night & listened to Nick Bollettieri the coach of Andre Agassi & Maria Sharapova who commented that coaches make the small changes that others can’t see.
It was when the young travel agent was engrossed in a 1500 piece jigsaw at our hideaway that Deanna arrived & demonstrated that by selecting the shapes of the pieces first that ‘she is 10 times faster’.
I.e. there is often another way to complete the puzzle.
However as Humphrey explains British participation in the European Economic Community will anything change? This is Superb! Not long and I loved it! CC
Of course will Brexit be ‘trumped’ in November??
We do have multiple articles from fund managers with their views on Brexit if you wish to contact us.
We believe that we can generate significant financial certainty for you throughout our relationship & importantly add substantial value to ensuring you achieve all that is important & valuable to you as you have articulated to us.
If we were to sit down in three years time & looked back what do we need to do today so that you are financially & personally better off & happier.
As others do, including our accountant wanting 1m life cover this week call us on 07 3848 1088 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit our websites.
John McAuliffe
Morris* will save $686 on his super group life insurance.
Morris* rang us last Friday concerned that the premiums on his life insurance inside his super was increasing from 1,242.70 last year to 1,900 this 1st July 2016.
As the super fund explained to us & the client yes they are increasing by 50%.
The increase was the first in 15 years.
As we are able to find another insurer who estimates the same cover for $1,214.73
This means for Morris* he has another 686 invested to grow his super fund balance.
And this is an ongoing savings throughout his next working years.
I.e. as a very rough estimate, as these are all stepped premiums,
An 10,000 extra & more in his super balance than he otherwise would have.
We could provide you with many other examples but here is Richard’s*.
Death only $1,340,000.00
Total & Permanent Disablement $340,000.00
Annual Premium at Commencement $1,657.94
What are they for this client this year?
Dear John
Please find below premiums for the following covers:
Death Only $1,000,000.00 - $1768.58
Death & TPD $340,000.00 - $1,179.51.
A total of 2,947 or an increase of 1289 p.a. which is 77%
This 1,289 could REDUCE the client’s super balance over 25years by 30K+ say.
Yes we can again use another insurer with an estimate of $1,706.11
I.e. a savings of 1,241this year.
What would that do to his fund balance?
Is that worth contacting us?
However it requires the effort to contact us on 07 3848 1088
07 3848 1088 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at least take a 5 minute financial check up.
One more concern we have with group insurance in your industry or work super.
There are catches in the small print which means you are not covered. There is always suicide for 13 months but also
It happens to many who decide that living here is to ‘boring’ or ‘over regulated’ or just a need to up skill & explore other overseas pastures.
E.g. A member will be provided with 24 hour worldwide cover while on holiday or business, for up to 3 years in duration while they are outside their normal country of residence unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Insurer.
E.G And from an industry fund
from BUSSQ super Handbook on page 19
You are eligible for insurance cover if you are:
· A member of BUSSQ
· Employed by an employer who is making ‘on time’
· contributions on your behalf into BUSSQ
· Not an ‘Excluded-Member’.
We also noted in this hand book the administration fees are 0.98% & we have funds that are Half that.
Note you do pay the union fee which suggests you pay the premium AND the union fee for doubtful cover.
Which is why this from Antony* an accountant today sent us the ‘3rd most expensive building in the history of the world.
Plenty of Ifs which you don’t find out until you need to & then it is too late.
We have written previously on the soliciting rip off desperate option.
These examples are intended for you to discover what your insurances inside your work super cost you.
Is there a better way without coming from your cashflow?
It comes out of your cashflow when you DIY it as it is another option & then also you are underwritten at claim time!!!! It is generally more expensive also.
A word of caution.
You may now be unable to buy life cover or it is loaded due to your current or future health.
Full disclosure is also required as the new insurer can ‘look back’ in the first three years if a claim.
Simply we put certainty into your financial life & as a past maths teacher we like to solve your financial problem so that you are better off in three years time.
Before you forget take your 5 minute financial checkup or call us on 07 3848 1088
07 3848 1088 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. today.
John McAuliffe
Call
Send SMS
Call from mobile
Add to Skype
yes we have 'copied & Pasted' from a fund manager & a global insurer but it is very relevant for you today
Retirement means something different to everybody. For some it means having more time to spend with family and watch their grandchildren grow, and for others it could mean taking the overseas trip they’ve always dreamed of or hitting the road to expand their horizons.
However, the one thing that everyone approaching retirement has in common is, that the choices you make today about your superannuation fund will ultimately determine whether or not your retirement goals become reality.
This is not always as simple as it sounds.
Did you know…
Almost half of Australians aged 45 years and over expect their main source of personal income in retirement will be from a superannuation, annuity or allocated pension plan?
Yet when you look at the actual position of retirees in this age group, two thirds currently receive government pension as their principle source of retirement income, with just 15 per receiving their main source of retirement income from a superannuation, annuity or allocated pension plan[1].
That’s a huge gap between Australians’ goals and the reality of their retirement.
And with current fortnightly age pension rates just $782.20 for singles and $1,179.20 for couples, you need to ask yourself – are my current super contributions enough to ensure my retirement reality will be as close to my goals as possible?
To make sure you’re getting the most out of your final working years, provided the following seven tips to boost your super savings and help live the retirement of your dreams.
1. Increase your regular investment or make one-off payments
A little bit now can mean so much later, so making regular super contributions is a great way to boost your nest egg. Once you have made your initial contribution there is no minimum additional contribution required.
You can increase your current regular investment or make a one-off payment by mail, BPay or direct debit.
2. Beware contribution caps
Before making additional contributions, ensure you’re aware of how much you’ve already contributed that financial year so your caps aren’t breached. Caps are applied to the total amount of contributions made across all superannuation funds, not just limited to a single one.
For more information on the Concessional and Non-Concessional Contribution Cap click here.
3. Government Co-contribution
By making a personal (non-concessional) contribution, you may be eligible for the Government Co-contribution. That means the Federal Government may contribute up to 50 cents for every dollar you put towards your own superannuation (capped at a maximum of $1000 per year).
To find out if you’re eligible for the Government Co-Contribution click here.
4. Spouse contributions
Contributing super on behalf of your spouse is a very tax-efficient way for a couple to save for retirement. If your spouse is eligible, either by not working or earning less than $10,800 per year, you can contribute to their super and receive a tax offset of up to $540 each financial year – reducing your tax payable.
The good news is there is no limit to the amount you can contribute to your spouse’s super, however you can only claim a tax offset of 18 per cent on up to $3000 of spousal contributions (where they earn less than $10,800). Keep in mind that there may be tax implications if caps are breached.
The Superannuation Plan accepts a wide variety of superannuation contributions, including those on behalf of your spouse. For more information speak to your financial adviser.
5. Consolidate your super and consolidate your future
The Australian Tax Office estimates that there is $16.8 billion in unclaimed super in Australia today. Is some of it yours?
Losing track of various super funds over your life could mean you have to remain in the workforce longer because you haven't gained the full investment benefits of your funds. So taking a just few minutes to consolidate your super accounts could be the different between your retirement goals and actually living out your retirement dream.
Keep track of the different employers you have had over the years. Often when you leave a job, your superannuation remains in that employer’s chosen fund or is rolled over into an eligible rollover fund.
By making sure you know where all your super is kept and consolidating it into one account, you can help build your retirement savings faster and adopt a much more focused strategy. Plus – you’ll save on paperwork.
To consolidate your super accounts, call John McAuliffe on 07 3848 1088
6. Salary sacrifice
For individuals who earn more than the threshold for Government Co-contributions or spouse contributions, salary sacrificing into your superannuation may be a good option.
Salary sacrifice simply means that if you earn more than $37,000 per year, you can nominate part of your pre-tax income to be paid directly into your super account by your employer. Your reduced salary then becomes your income for tax purposes.
7. Work with your financial adviser
Of course, everyone has their own unique retirement expectations so it is important to assess the previous six strategies according to your own individual circumstances. This may seem daunting – especially for those who are relatively unfamiliar with the superannuation process and which options may be best for them. This is where speaking with a professional financial adviser can help.
Your financial adviser may be able to assist you by:
as others do & before you forget call us on 07 3848 1088 orThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or reassure your self on our websites
John McAuliffe
We read today that 900,000 will have dementia by 2050 so before we do then there are some matters that need to be attended.
It was a very recent Masterclass that we attended that emphasised legal matters.
It is a given that around 50% of the population die intestate.
i.e. without a will & hence there is a bigger cost that need be.
We read ‘there's been an "explosion" of these bloodsuckers. There is now one of these wretched creatures for every 383 human New Zealanders. A generation ago, it was one to 681, so in our darkest hours we are twice as likely as our parents to find one of these parasites attached to our purses and wallets. More here
Yes there were eight of them including 2 judges in my class & we know at least one of them would prefer to live in Brazil. Yes he is conveyancing & hence as others are not ‘the no win no fee’ brigade
Then there are other stories that we all read about.
‘The last few years clearly shows that super fund death benefits are a new and lucrative river of gold for solicitor’.
‘These death benefits are often sizeable sums of money and are also relatively easy to attack because most people take inadequate steps to protect their super, as several court cases demonstrate’ .More here
And more recently
The children of former NSW premier Neville Wran have settled a case over their late father’s dollar estate. It was worth battling over 40million. More here.
And again
Victorian bushfires
‘Top partners in a leading law firm have pocketed more than $16m, but the victims are yet to receive a cent.’ More here
And again ‘Lawyers sitting on $25m soy compensation’ More here
Yes a lawyers picnic but does that need to be the case.
BUT 9/4/16
‘Troubled law firm Slater & Gordon is looking at ways to cut costs as it continues to negotiate with financiers.‘
Slater & Gordon has drafted in corporate adviser Grant Samuel. More here
No sympathy!!
Our estate lawyer client Doug* has told us’
‘When we first meet they love us & later when we present the bill they hate us’
As always & yes trite but true.
Perfect preparation & prevention prevents soliciting seagulls having such picnics at your expense.
As always there is a first step & hence a global financial company suggested
With an ageing population and increasing divorce rates, the demand for estate planning solutions is sure to grow rapidly in both the short and long-term.
To assist you to have a make a start then here is a link that you can use which maybe more cost effective than a solicitors ‘6 minute clock’.
Note: We are as you gather definitely NOT solicitors.
Now onto ‘Doodads’ which is a term we were reminded of whilst playing ‘the Cashflow game’ this week. It also means tutoring our family in some basic accounting and cashflow subjects.
Doodads are just the bills that arrive. In our case it was the rates yesterday which followed the dental surgeon’s invoice. It is those bills which upset your cashflow. As the game shows too many of those recurring bills can leave you ‘out of the game’
Yes we can meet the small bills but not the big one.
So we repeat as we do.
Do you have a month’s income handy if you are laid off today as others were or if the roof leaks or any other ‘doodads’ that you can visualise?
Last year we had told Rose* who took our family on holiday that there was to be no quad bike riding & today we are reminded why. There has been a Landline story on this them in the past.
Of course health is the big Doodad & that means years of perfect Prevention.
Just NOW we read from Robert Kiyosaki’s Prediction of 2016 Market Crash
Question: What is the job of a prophet?
Answer: To be wrong.
Before you join the 900,000 & forget you can contact us today on 07 3848 1088
or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or check us out on our websites.
Take our 5 minute financial check up.
Simply we put certainty into your financial life & as a past maths teacher we like to solve your financial problem so that you are better off in three years time.
As client Sue stated ‘we now feel in control’
John McAuliffe
Call
Send SMS
Call from mobile
Add to Skype
Yes we attended another seminar this month, this one an aged care Masterclass.
We read today that ‘People with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease do not lose their memories — just the ability to find them.’
We also read recently that 700 Aussies per day turn 65 & potentially join the dementia club. There will be in the near future be 400,000 Aussies with dementia .
The good news is that you have up to 3 years to plan for that forgettable event.
However have you planned if it is you or your mum or your partner.
There is so much to it & we will be suggesting to our retiring clients today that they take that enjoy that last hurrah of an European tour before that very harsh reality.
That is because as our back office commented , ‘these guys are in a good position’ . We were quite chuffed with that comment.
It is also because
My sister and I have discussed the Europe trip and decided that it is just not possible for us to both be out of the country at the same time (especially for an extended period) because of our mum.
She is 89 and has not been especially well lately and, although we know there are family members to step in, we feel that the responsibility should not fall on them.
John and I will look at doing something else once my sister is back in the country.
Every speaker was engaging & hence a summary of each would deserve a blog. We could do that but let’s blog today the big picture summary to help you do the Essentials at least.
Natasha spoke about all those government changes to aged care support. Yes there have been tougher pension tests & hence reduced pensions for many & the pension cutting off much earlier than pre 1st January 2016.
These pension rates are easily found here.
The new aged care challenge means that you have to find more means yourself to support yourself.
If your client enters care on or after 1 January 2016 and is renting out their former home, the rental income will now be counted as assessable income in the calculation of aged care costs The current changes only impact aged care fees. It is proposed that from, 1 January 2017, the rental income may also impact aged pension entitlements
In particular learn terms such as RAD which is Refundable Accommodation Deposit which is a lump sum for the price of a room. It is usually less than 550K. It maybe in part paid daily which is the DAP which is the daily accommodation payment.
As an example a 400K RAD is approximately DAP =70p.d depending on the interest rate.
Then on top there is the basic daily Fee = BDF.
On top of that there is the means Tested Fee MTF & MTA.
MTA now includes the rental income from your former home which means the MTF could be higher by up to half the net rent. The RAD also counts as an asset.
The changes & proposed changes are here.
I.e. you have the challenge of finding a lump sum say 400k & the daily cashflow to meet expenses. The message is clear.
You can only live in one place & the house isn’t necessarily for the kids.
This is number crunching solving & does help the emotive issue of do we sell the house. Different cashflow options need to be discussed starting from the status quo of keeping the house. Martin has a solution that maybe a suitable option after the numbers are crunched.
Danielle spoke alternatives to aged care i.e. what other options exist such as home care, retirement living or residential care. These are all preferable to us all. They exist & how do we access them & is there any funding. What also came out is the partner becomes the carer & that is a challenging & very different role. Some help eases the load & it certainly can’t always be the kids.
Here is the government link.
Joanne who is a GP spoke about wellness & the effect on the family when a parent moves in. When the parent repeats haven’t seen the family ever then it is the dementia talking. Joanne spoke about the carer not letting the guilt & stress built up.
I.e. look after yourself to care better. It takes on average 13 weeks before the resident accepts their new home.
Joanne also offered an antioxidant skin test for our whole group of 30 of our contempories. They all wanted to determine how well they all were. We topped with the highest 62,000 score & when we said why Joanne says ‘of course’. It is a firm belief of ours & ‘ask us for the Essentials. Today.
Stephen who is a psychologist discussed our personalities. Each one of us has a profile with two dominant sub types out of 4 sub types of personalities.
Hence we can relate to those who have similar dominant types & conflict arises when the other dominant subtype disagrees.
Hence the matter that partners & families can’t agree on what to do & hence a 3rd party in stressful times is challenging to say the least.
Carolan who reduces her stress with a cigar before speaking emphasised how important it is to have all those legal forms in place before the dementia strikes.
Otherwise waiting for ‘A good day’ may never happen & hence delays & legal costs. Carolan provided some very good examples of the downsides of not having those legal forms all completed.
One example is when houses are to be sold & are in joint tenants then if one has dementia and there is no enduring power of Attorney EPOA then it can’t be sold as both need to sign.
A long & expensive legal delay. Who wins then?
Carolan also stated that there are solicitors that specialise in elder abuse.
This is a real stressful time for all & before you forget you can contact us today on 07 3848 1088 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or check us out on our websites.
Simply we put certainty into your financial life & as a past maths teacher we like to solve your financial problem so that you are better off in three years time
John McAuliffe
Where do we start but in no particular order lets expose the biggest from this month’s reading.
1. Porter writes ‘I recently learned about an ongoing financial crime – by far the largest in history.
According to sources that I trust (and based on my own team's research to verify these claims), something around $100 billion in dividends has already been stolen.
Up to $1 billion a month continues to be taken, in what must be the most brazen corporate crime in history.
To give you some idea about the scope of this crime (and how big this story will become), the fraud at Enron resulted in the collapse of a $40 billion corporation.
What has been stolen in this case is already almost twice that much, in cash.
The most shocking aspect of this case, however, isn't its enormous size – and it's the largest corporate fraud of all time.
What's truly shocking is that the people behind this fraud were working for the government when the plan was implemented.
They've been using "executive privilege" as an excuse to cover their tracks, insisting that 11,000 documents that detail how this happened may be vital to national security. Read More
2. Fidelity, one of the very largest of fund managers writes
Excessive government debt can be curbed in various ways. Officials could even resort to tricks to do this.
One would be to mint, say, a trillion dollar coin. If the law allows, the treasury department could mint such a coin, deposit it with the central bank and receives the corresponding amount in cash, a sum that would wipe out the equivalent in government debt.
Another way would be to write off bonds held by central banks – do this, and some calculate that Japan’s government debt-to-GDP ratio would fall from a world-high 235% to about 95%. More credible steps would be to allow a modest rise in inflation to erode the real value of debt. Governments could sell assets or boost taxes and other charges.
More sneakily, governments could use their legal might to squeeze money from their citizens, be they savers, investors or creditors, via what is known as “financial repression”.
Underhand ways to reduce government debt are laws capping interest rates or laws that force citizens or managed funds to buy sovereign bonds. Or governments could default. Read More
Let’s review some of articles from this week alone in Australia.
3. Henry writes in The Australian
In theory, putting your jewels in a safe protects them from theft. In practice, thieves know safes are where the jewels are kept. And if the thief has a key, you’re in trouble.
That, in a nutshell, is the story of super.
There are, no doubt, many twists in the saga; but all the latest episode confirms is that when they are desperate for cash, governments can be trusted to breach whatever trust we have placed in them Read more
And also from the Australian this week
In the 2013 campaign the Coalition made a similar solemn promise — they would make no fundamental changes to superannuation in the 44th parliament. The Coalition completely broke that promise in the budget and even backdated their breach to 2007. To do that in such a long-term game as superannuation really shatters trust. Read more
From the campaign trial
What is safe?’
Bill Shorten says there is “seething rage” in the community over the government’s retrospective changes to superannuation.
“We ask Australians to compulsorily commit to retirement income - they don’t get the value of the money now, they have to save it for retirement,” the Opposition Leader said.
“But it turns Australians into a seething rage when they discover that they make investment decisions and, if Mr Turnbull and Mr Morrison can make a retrospective decision ... what is safe?”
And again from The Australian
Bill Shorten stands accused of misleading voters over the boost to growth from his $37.4 billion school funding plan by claiming an economic lift “straight away” from the spending despite economic research that shows the gains would take decades. Read more
4 . As we have a core belief that health is fundamental to your wealth as bad health destroys your wealth then lets add some massive medical lies IMHO
1. Dr Mercola writes
However, if the vaccine is ineffective, and/or if the disease doesn't pose a great threat to begin with, then the vaccine may indeed pose an unacceptable risk. This is particularly true if the vaccine has been linked to serious side effects. Unfortunately, that's the case with the MMR vaccine, which has been linked to at least 98 deaths and 694 disabilities between 2003 and 2015.
Considering the fact that only 1 to 10 percent of vaccine reactions are ever reported, those numbers could actually be closer to 980 deaths and 6,940 disabilities.
Meanwhile, death from mumps is "exceedingly rare" according to the CDC,6 and no one has died from mumps during any of the recent outbreaks Read more
2. And being a student from the sixties then Read more on cynical government
3. Then there is this best explanation we have read & so we are happy.
Lisa who works in palliative care will be happy but what about the 10% with severe & chronic back pain as George* has.
Fewer DVOs!!...... Fewer cops & prisons & prescriptions….Maybe more Taxx.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded a review on the safety of medical marijuana, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced plans to reconsider its restrictive Schedule I designation that makes the plant a controlled substance. Read More
We could go on forever but better stop but for your own benefit & as a general comment what is not good for the goose is good for the gander.
They don’t like cash & their arguments its only for terrorists & gangsters is B. S. as our Dad would say.
They also don’t like Gold.
Simply we put certainty into your financial life & as a past maths teacher we like to solve your financial problem so that you are better off in three years time.
Before you forget take your 5 minute financial checkup or call us on 07 3848 1088 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.today or reassure yourselves via our website
John McAuliffe
Good morning John, sending this from my phone, sitting in our little van having a coffee.
We would like to ask you about the consequences of taking some money from John's super to take a 36 day cruise around the Mediterranean and Europe, with a possible side trip to the UK afterwards.
Our immediate reaction when asked by my sister to join her and my brother-in-law on this trip of a lifetime was no (you know what we're like!!!).
We could take the money from our savings but are a bit worried about depleting that bucket too much.
On the other hand we are obviously also worried about depleting the super. I know you always say to us we should go for it, but as usual we are super cautious, especially as we don't really know yet what income we will be getting from John's super.
Are we reaching too far???
Best from Tallebudgera, Linda* & Francis*
We reply
‘We have tools to show what we can do so will explore for you the numbers before we meet
An estimate or preferably a latest super statement would be helpful’
Then
‘I can get the latest statement tomorrow and will email. We don't have a lot of time, we can put a cabin on hold for a week’
Then
‘Yep as an estimate of costs & when for trip
We thought you come over & check out whilst using our new financial tools
Worth the exercise to model scenarios as yes Centrelink also
You are back too early’
Then
We used the financial tools to model various scenarios which included
· Living the same lifestyle using only both pension funds & no Centrelink
· with no trip
· then with the 30K cruise.
Funds are still there until their nineties even when using conservative income & growth figures
Then the good news using Centrelink who do want to know the make & model of car & everything else that they probably know anyway
Also lets model including what Centrelink from next year may add to your income
We used the new asset tests from 1st January 2017 & also observing
‘From 1 January 2017 the government has proposed to increase the assets taper test - the amount by which a person’s pension entitlement decreased under the assets test - from $1.50 to $3 per fortnight for every $1000 of assets above the lower threshold
It’s designed to benefit the people in the middle - people who are just over the asset test threshold’
The tables below are sourced from the Hon Scott Morrison MP press release.
| Couple homeowner Assessable assets |
Current combined Age Pension |
Combined Age pension From 1 Jan 2017 combined |
Difference |
| $100,000 |
$34,923 |
$34,923 |
$0 |
| $200,000 |
$34,923 |
$34,923 |
$0 |
| $300,000 |
$34,865 |
$34,923 |
$59 increase |
| $400,000 |
$30,965 |
$32,973 |
$2,009 increase |
| $451,500 |
$28,956 |
$28,956 |
$0 |
| $500,000 |
$27,065 |
$25,173 |
$1,892 decrease |
| $600,000 |
$23,165 |
$17,373 |
$5,792 decrease |
| $700,000 |
$19,265 |
$9,573 |
$9,692 decrease |
| $800,000 |
$15,365 |
$1,773 |
$13,592 decrease |
| $823,000 |
$14,467 |
$0 |
$14,467 decrease |
| $900,000 |
$11,465 |
$0 |
$11,465 decrease |
| $1m |
$7,565 |
$0 |
$7,565 decrease |
| $1.1m |
$3,655 |
$0 |
$3,665 decrease |
| $1.2m |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
John Michael McAuliffe AFA, DipFp., BSc., DipTeach.
John is a Premier Wealth Coach & Financial Strategist. John McAuliffe Authorised Representative No.238629 of The Financial Link Group Pty Ltd

RISK and INVESTMENT ADVISORS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD.